Recently, in association with the movement of global regulation of carbon dioxide emission associated with the increase in attraction to environmental concerns, the demand for low fuel consumption by automobiles is increasing. To satisfy the requirement, it is desired to reduce rolling resistance relating to tire performance. Heretofore, as a means for reducing the rolling resistance of tires, a method of optimizing tire structures has been investigated; however, at present, a technique of using a low-heat-generating rubber composition for tires has become employed as the most common method.
For obtaining such a low-heat-generating rubber composition, there is known a method of sing an inorganic filler such as silica or the like.
However, in incorporating an inorganic filler such as silica or the like in a rubber composition to prepare an inorganic filler-containing rubber composition, the inorganic filler, especially silica aggregates in the rubber composition (owing to the hydroxyl group in the surface of silica), and therefore, for preventing the aggregation, a silane coupling agent is used.
Accordingly, for successfully solving the above-mentioned problem by incorporation of a silane coupling agent, various trials have been made for increasing the activity of the coupling function of the silane coupling agent.
For example, Patent Reference 1 proposes a rubber composition containing, as basic components, at least (i) one diene elastomer, (ii) a white filler as a reinforcing filler and (iii) an alkoxysilane polysulfide as a coupling agent (white filler/diene elastomer) along with (iv) an enamine and (v) a guanidine derivative.
Patent Reference 2 discloses a rubber composition containing, as basic components, at least (i) one diene elastomer, (ii) a white filler as a reinforcing filler and (iii) an alkoxysilane polysulfide as a coupling agent (white filler/diene elastomer) along with (iv) zinc thiophosphate and (v) a guanidine derivative.
Patent Reference 3 describes a rubber composition containing, as basic components, at least (i) a diene elastomer, (ii) an inorganic filler as a reinforcing filler and (iii) an alkoxysilane polysulfide (PSAS) as an (inorganic filler/diene elastomer) coupling agent, as combined with (iv) an aldimine (R—CH═N—R) and (v) a guanidine derivative.
Further, Patent Reference 4 proposes a rubber composition basically containing at least (i) a diene elastomer, (ii) an inorganic filer as a reinforcing filer and (iii) an alkoxysilane polysulfide as a coupling agent, as combined with (iv) 1,2-dihydropyridine and (v) a guanidine derivative.
However, in these inventions, nothing is taken into consideration relating to kneading conditions.
As a case of increasing the activity of the coupling function of a silane coupling agent in consideration of kneading conditions, there is mentioned Patent Reference 5, in which, however, nothing is taken into consideration relating to the fact that the effect of increasing the activity of the coupling function of a silane coupling agent may be lowered by some additives.